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    Once Upon a Spine
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    Once Upon a Spine
    Unavailable
    Once Upon a Spine
    Audiobook7 hours

    Once Upon a Spine

    Written by Kate Carlisle

    Narrated by Susie Berneis

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Brooklyn's future in-laws are traveling from England to meet her, which is enough to set her on edge, but now rumors are flying around that the shops across the street may be replaced by apartments! She fears that her trendy neighborhood will be ruined unless she can persuade the shopkeepers not to sell. But then a rare edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland causes bad blood at the bookshop, and a string of petty vandalism makes everyone nervous; the owner of the juice bar is felled by his own heavy shelves, and the local cobbler lies dead beside him. Things keep getting curiouser and curiouser until even a second priceless copy of Alice is discovered. Pretty soon Brooklyn's plan to save the shops feels like attempting six impossible things before breakfast. But, luckily, as the Brits descend, Brooklyn learns they're not so stuffy after all. Derek's dad is won over with chocolate cream pie, and his psychic mum would kill to help Brooklyn solve this murder - hopefully before anothe r victim takes a tumble
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateJun 6, 2017
    ISBN9781520073163
    Unavailable
    Once Upon a Spine
    Author

    Kate Carlisle

    Kate Carlisle writes for Harlequin Desire and is also the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mystery series for NAL. Kate spent twenty years in television production before enrolling in law school, where she turned to writing fiction as a lawful way to kill off her professors. She eventually left law school, but the urge to write has never left her. Kate and her husband live near the beach in Southern California where she was born and raised.

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    Reviews for Once Upon a Spine

    4/5

    49 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This was a great book. The story was very entertaining and I held my interest the entire time. The characters were likable and I cared about what happened to them. This is a series I will definitely continue.

      When a shop owner is killed in a store across from Brooklyn's home, she becomes involved in solving the mystery of who murdered him. Along the way, she spends a lot of time at Eddie and Terrence's book store in the same building. There is a rare copy of Alice in Wonderland that is a part of the mystery. I loved the information the reader gets about rare books, and also about hand made paper. Little details like that make me happy.

      Brooklyn and Derek are wonderful. It is so refreshing to see a couple who are in love and are supportive of each other. They are getting their parents together for the first time prior to their marriage. All of the parents were great and added some humor to the book. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good cozy mystery.

      I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      The marriage is getting closer. Simple mystery with a few twists. Get to meet Derek's parents.
    • 3/5
      This is a light, enjoyable read, though, I didn't love it to the extent that most reviewers have so far.The content feels more like chick-lit than the cozy mystery I'd expected. We spend a lot of time on family theatrics, paper-making instructions, and food - I think half the book is devoted to discussing, cooking, and eating snacks and meals. Granted, these scenes are often funny and entertaining. I just found the content low on substance and somewhat repetitious. In fairness, I'm not much of a chick-lit reader, so this is also an issue of my own preferences.When we get to the mystery aspect, I just couldn't make that leap with Brooklyn's crime-fighting. Some of the things she and her fiance do are over-the-top illegal, and yet their homicide detective friend either shrugs off their law-breaking or encourages them. In the end, the case is not all that difficult to solve, which makes the detective appear incompetent.The book description gives away almost all the high points of the plot, which is unfortunate. The whodunit culminates with tangled drama that is entertaining and comical, though I couldn't take these characters seriously. I have not read any of the prior books in this series. This one reads perfectly as a stand-alone. I had no issues orienting myself within the story or Brooklyn's life. *I received an advance copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
    • 3/5
      Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright discovers another body; investigation ensues -- with Brooklyn and her fiance Derek assisting the San Francisco PD on the case.Very short review: this is a mystery for people who don't much like mysteries. If you take out all the verbiage that has nothing to do with the crime and its investigation -- including that oohing and aahing over Derek and how hunky and manly he is -- there's not much mystery left. I DO like the characters.
    • 4/5
      Definitely a series for those who enjoy book-related mysteries. The plots themselves are of the caliber of "Murder She Wrote," but the real fun is the development of the network of friends and family surrounding the protagonist, Brooklyn. In this offering, the interplay between her mother and that of her fiance, Derek, was genuinely humorous as they seek to involve themselves in the latest murder mystery in which Brooklyn has found herself. Along the way we learn tidbits about book conservation, wine tasting, and sundry other arts and crafts.If I have one critical suggestion: repeated use of the word "darling" sounds stilted and self-conscious. I know Derek is British, but still.
    • 4/5
      As one of Kate's raters, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.This is the fourth of Carlisle's cozy mysteries that I've read. Her books are entertaining, informative, and readable. Also, her books tend to be very clean, free of profanity and sexual content. In this eleventh book in Carlisle's Bibliophile Mystery series, Brooklyn Wainwright, book binding/restoration expert/artist and amateur sleuth, returns as the narrator. She and Derek, her fiancée, love their charming neighborhood where they have lived for the past five years. They live across the street from the Courtyard shops, which they visit often to browse and socialize. It's a community in itself as the owners know one another, live above their shops, and are practically a family. Coincidentally, the owners of Brooklyn's favorite haunt, the Brothers Bookshop, ARE family, brothers-in-law(their exes are sisters).But, in this installment, Brooklyn is on edge. Their beloved Courtyard shops are in danger of being torn down and replaced by soulless high rise apartments. She is stressed by the impending visit of her "proper" English in-laws, who she is meeting for the first time. Despite of Derek's reassurances, she can't relax and is concerned about her questionable skills in the kitchen and lack of fashion sense. And, to add insult to injury, her parents will be visiting at the same time so the families can meet. According to Brooklyn, her and Derek's parents couldn't be more different. Brooklyn and her siblings were raised in a commune. Her dad operates a winery and her mom is into new age practices with its crystals, auras, chakras, and whatnot.Early one morning, Brooklyn heads to the shops for coffee and in pursuit of the best pie for her father-in-law. It is then that she comes upon a strange sight. Glancing through the window of The Rabbit Hole, the local produce store and juice bar, she sees chaos. A massive shelf had been overturned, leaving groceries scattered. The owner, Will Rabbit, was injured and sprawled on the floor. Another unknown person was trapped under the heavy shelving. Brooklyn summons help and calls SFPD detective Janice Lee, a returning character, and the investigation begins. Could the attacks be connected to the recent vandalism the Courtyard has been plagued with? Could the vandalism be a scare tactic to frighten shop owners and/or potential visitors/customers? Could the incident be connected to the rare copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland locked in the Brothers Bookshop's display case, the one Brooklyn is obsessed with? The Alice in Wonderland books are a bone of contention amongst the brothers, Eddie and Terrence.Characters are introduced or re-introduced, as the case may be. The backstory of returning characters and past events are interspersed smoothly so this book can serve as a standalone. In this installment, Carlisle brings in Derek's parents. Their visit turns out to be nothing like Brooklyn expected.I enjoyed this installment in the Bibliophile series. The culprit wasn't obvious, which made solving the mystery more fun and intriguing. I liked the ending because it didn't feel rushed and was satisfying. As always, Carlisle includes humor, interesting characters, puns, and yummy food. I always learn something new. I look forward to meeting Brooklyn and her circle in future books.
    • 5/5
      Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle is the eleventh book in A Bibliophile Mystery series. Brooklyn Wainwright lives in San Francisco, California with her fiancé, Derek Stone. Brooklyn is a bookbinder and paper artist. At the Brothers Bookshop in the Courtyard, Brooklyn has been coveting a beautiful and rare copy of Alice in Wonderland owned by Eddie Cox (co-owner of the shop). She has always been fascinated by Lewis Carroll and his Alice books. Terrence Payton, who co-owns Brothers Bookshop with Eddie, mentions that he had a similar copy of Alice in Wonderland, but it was stolen six months previously. Bonnie Carson comes into the shop and mentions that once again someone has vandalized the building with graffiti. Later that week Brooklyn is out early to get coffee from the Beanery and looks into the Rabbit Hole as she goes walks by the shop. She notices the place in a disarray and enters to find Will Rabbit, the owner, on the ground. Brooklyn finds another victim under one of the shelving units. She quickly contacts 911 and Inspector Janice Lee. When the shelving is removed, they find Joey Falco, the cobbler, underneath. Joey dies on the way to the hospital. Brooklyn looks in Joey’s shop door (looking for her burgundy heels Joey was repairing) and discovers the shop in a shambles. Why were Joey and Will attacked? What was the killer looking for in Joey’s shop? The next day Derek’s parents arrive from England (Brooklyn has yet to meet them), and Brooklyn’s parents are visiting as well. Brooklyn will have to work in sleuthing among the sightseeing trips. It seems, though, that the killer is not yet finished. Bonnie would be roadkill if not for Brooklyn’s quick actions. Can Brooklyn close the book on this case before another victim gets struck down?Once Upon a Spine is a delightful cozy mystery. Kate Carlisle has a conversational writing style that makes for an easy to read book. The book is well-crafted and has a good pace. I enjoyed the addition of Derek’s parents. Meg Stone is nothing like I expected. Meg and Becky’s (Brooklyn’s mother) antics had me laughing a few times. The mystery is multifaceted and complex which I adored. Readers will have a hard time solving this one. I give Once Upon a Spine 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). While Once Upon a Spine is the eleventh book in the series, it can be a stand-alone. The author does provide background information on Brooklyn, her career, and relationship with Derek. I like how far Brooklyn and Janice Lee’s relationship has progressed since the beginning of the series. I loved the description of Brooklyn’s Alice project especially the details on papermaking. Once Upon a Spine has great characters, beautiful setting, complicated crime, wonderful book descriptions, and humor along with a nice easy writing style. All these elements come together for a pleasure reading experience. I hope we get Brooklyn and Derek’s wedding in the next A Bibliophile Mystery. It will be entertaining to see what the two-mother’s put together.
    • 4/5
      With a great dual storyline, the new Bibliophile mystery is both a meet the parents tale and one about your own neighborhood. Brooklyn and Derek really love their Courtyard area of San Francisco—but how well do they really know these small business neighbors? Shortly before Derek’s parents are due to arrive from England, Brooklyn discovers two injured shop owners, one of whom passes away after being crushed by shelving. That storyline, along with interesting info about first editions of Alice in Wonderland and paper making, detail the book side of the story. But it's also finally meet the parents time. Brooklyn wonders how her admittedly hippie parents will mesh with Derek’s folks. The new characters were a lot of fun and I hope to see more of them as we head toward Brooklyn and Derek’s eventual nuptials. I am always excited to see a new release in this long running series. Brooklyn and Derek are characters that work so well together.
    • 4/5
      This one was quite a bit shorter then the others, but just as good. The main book Alice in Wonderland is a favorite of mine so the background on the original publication was interesting, as was Brooklyn's description on how to make paper. I'd really like to give that a try someday. I was sorry to finish this book as it was just released this summer so I'm afraid I'll have rather a long wait for the next book.
    • 4/5
      Now that Brooklyn and Derek are settling into their renovated expanded condo in San Francisco, they are exploring their own neighborhood and have found lovely shops and restaurants (good since Brooklyn can't cook!) but they are sadden when they find one of their new friends/shopkeepers dead and another injured. When it appears that the death was no accident, Brooklyn and Derek set out to find who murdered their friend and disrupted the tranquility of their home area. At the same time, Brooklyn is worried about meeting her future British in-laws and how they will get along with her former hippie parentsThe interaction of the parents and how they connect was really amusing!Love the series and the characters!